Front gear for vehicles.



No. 650,478. Patented May 29, |900.

T. H. PABHY &. J. MCCLINTDCK. FBDNT GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

(Application med Ma'r. 26, 1900.)

I7' .1. m E? y (No Moldal.)

UNITED STATES PATENT trice.

THOMAS H. PARRY AND JOSEPH MCOLINTOCK, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO THE PARRY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FRONT GEAR FIOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters ,Patent No. 650,478, dated May 29, 1900. Application filed March 26, 190.0. Serial No. 10,157. (Nomodel.)

T0 tZZ whom, t may concern: v Be it known that we, THOMAS H. PARRY and JOSEPH MCCLINTOCK, citizens of the `United States, residingat Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Front Gear for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is .to provide a one-piece futchell and'wheel-irou stay for the front portion of the gear of wheeled vehicles and attach it in a novel and secure manner to the cross-bar without cutting the latter away in a manner to materially weaken it and to attach said combined futchell and Wheel-iron to the elliptic springs and fifthwheel of the vehicle in a specially secure and durable manner.

The invention also relates to the manner of supporting the fifth-wheel and to certain features of its construction and arrangements of parts, all of which will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.A

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a top plan view of our invention; Fig. 2, a detail in rear elevation of same, showing the combined futchell and wheel-iron on one side and part of the iifthwheel in vertical section. Fig. 3 is Va detail in side elevation looking in the direction of the arrow 3, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detail in vertical seetion on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a detail on the line 5 5 of Fig. l.

B B are elliptic springs, which are secured in any well-known and suitable manner to thekforward axle of the vehicle, a portion of said axle being shown at A, Fig. 2, and O is the cross-bar, of usual construction.

D D are the combined futchell and wheelirons, the futchell being the part from CZ to c and the wheel-iron being the part from c to cZ, which parts under those names have been made separately and their adjacent ends attached by Well-known means to the cross-bar C. The partsDD will preferably be of springsteel oval in cross-section, and the ends which approach each other toward the forward end of the vehicle are applied to blocks b band project somewhat forward of the blocks to form ears or lugs for the attachment of the thills or pole. The outerportions of theI parts `D pass to the rear from the blocks Zi Z) and between the cross-bar O and the elliptic springs, to which they are applied by means of the blocks g, having longitudinal grooves to receive and fit the parts D and forming the lower halves of boxes of which G are the upper portions, having under side grooves to receive the parts D. These are clamped to the parts D and are secured tothe springs B B by the clips H. A bearing-plate m may be interposed between the blocks g g and the springs B B. The top boxes G G have central arches or loops I I to receive the ends of the cross-bar C, the end of the iron c4 on the under side of which is turned down at c' against the outside of boX G to prevent spreading apart of springs B B. To prevent longitudinal movement of D D in the above mentioned boxes, we provide lug or ange g2 to enter a corresponding notch in D. (See rig. 5.)

'The under blocks jj have downwardly-projected loops j j to pass around the cross-bar O, and to permit said bar to pass the blocks the central portions of the latter will be removed in the manner as clearly shown in Fig. 4 and the ends connected by the loops j j. The cross-barC will pass under the futchell and wheel-irons D D without' notching the latter or cutting it away, except very slightly to keep the partsV D D from sliding on said bar. The top groove of the box Will have a lugj2 to enter a detent in part D to prevent sliding movement. It will be noted that this box extends a considerable distance on either side of cross-bar C, which isto give an ample bearing to the fifth-Wheel on parts D D. The fth-wheel consists of au outer rim or circle cZ3, preferably wrought iron or steel, with downwardly-sloping edges to make it broader at the base. This rim is'supported by eight arms h, which attach to the rim at points IOO which are equidistant from each other in order to equally support the rim, and the arms are connected in two groups of four each with the two blocksJ J. A center plate N has a downwardly-tapering socket N', which latter is concentric with the circular rim d3. The top of plate N is raised above the blocks J J and is approximately on a level with the top of the rim. Itis supported by the four arms h2, which are integral with the said plate and with the blocks J J. The top circle d2 of the fifth-wheel rests on top of the circle d3. It has inside and outside downwardly-projected flanges, between which the rim is seated. These flanges have a llare vto suit the obliquity of the sides of the lower rim or circle. The king-bolt is attached through an opening in plate N. It has an inverted truncated conical end,which is seated in the tapering socket N', whereby the wear of the parts will not get them out of center, but will insure a perfect concentric fit.

Vire have now to describe a construction that ranks among the most important of our improved teatures-viz.,the standards S, by which the rim of the fifth-wheel is supported at four equal points from the futchell and wheel-irons D D. The points of attachment are indicated in Fig. 1 by the bolt-heads s. These pass down through the head and on either side of standards S. The latter is notched on its lower end to receive the part D, and a correspondingly-notehed plate is secured on the under side ot' D by nuts on the threaded ends of the bolts s. These four standards overcome a former serious difficulty occasioned by the breaking down of the gear after short use by the strain put on the unsupported rim of the tifth-wheel-Wrenching positions to which a vehicle is subjected.

We are aware of the Patent No. 466,252, issued December 29, 1891, and do not claim the construction there shown.,

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination, in the front gear of wheeled vehicles, of the axle,the springs B B, the cross-bar reaching'from one of said springs to the other, the one-piece futchell and wheeliron elliptical in cross-section, two-part boxes divided horizontally and grooved longitudinally to form seats to receive the futchell and wheel-irons, the top parts of said boxes being arched or looped to receive the ends of the cross-bar, and clips to clampv the boxes to the elliptical irons and to clamp said boxes to the cross-bar and to the elliptical springs, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, in the front gear of a wheeled vehicle, of futchell and wheel-irons made in one continuous piece as shown,a fifthwheel having a raised center plate with a downwardly-tapering opening connected to 'an outer rim in the same plane and standards giving .the rim a direct attachment to and support from the futchell and wheel-irons,

substantially as described and shown.

3. The combination, in the front gear of a Wheeled vehicle, of futchell and wheel-irons made each in continuous pieces as shown, a fifth-wheel having a raised center plate with a downwardly-tapering opening, a rim in the same plane with the plate and connected therewith by arms integral with the plate, half-boxes integral with the said arms and having under side grooves to receive the futchell and wheel-irons, a cross-bar passing under the futchell and Wheel-irons, lower. half-boxes having upper grooves to receive the futchell and wheel-irons and adapted to be clamped under the upper boxes, said under halt-boxes having depending loops to embrace the cross-bar, and clips to clamp the parts of the boxes together, substantially as described and shown.

In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 21st day of March, A. D. 1900.

THOMAS H. PARRY. JOSEPH MCCLINTOCK. Witnesses:

D. M. PARRY, J. A. MINTURN. 

